Potato Salad for a BBQ

Who doesn't love a good BBQ with some excellent sides. I am always looking for new potato salad recipes and this is one I just threw together with ingredients I had on hand. Went really well with Pulled Pork Sliders!

Cabinet Potato Salad
2# Yukon Potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup Greek Non-Fat Yogurt
1/4 cup Low-Fat Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dill Pickles, chopped plus 2tbsp juice (or 1/4 cup of dill relish)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. chopped red onion
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. parsley
salt and pepper
1 hard boiled egg
2 tsp capers

Cover potatoes with water in a large pot, add salt and bring to a boil, cooking until tender. Takes about 10 minutes for cut potatoes and 20 minutes for whole. Add egg to boil as well (for 10 minutes). Cool potatoes and egg completely in ice bath, cut and peel when cool.

Combine remaining ingredients, fold into potatoes.

Mini Cherry Pies

A quick and easy treat that didn't take too much hands on time, besides rolling out the dough. With the mini-pie maker I bought over the summer, it was almost easier to bake mini pies instead of turning on the oven. Simple dough recipe and any type of filling you want.

Dough Recipe
2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks unsalted butter (chilled and cut into small cubes)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
ice water (6 to 8 tbsp - depending on the consistency of the dough)

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in stand mixer with flat attachment. Mix on medium-low speed to combine. Add butter and continue to mix until the mixture starts to look like cornmeal. The butter pieces should be about pea size. Add water 1 Tbsp at a time, on low speed until mixture starts to come together and doesn't break apart when you pinch it.

Remove dough from mixer and place on a clean surface. Don't over-knead the dough, form into four small disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour or up to 24 hours.

Remove from refrigerator, let sit for 10 minutes to soften. Roll out with rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 of an inch thick. Using the cutters from the mini-pie baker, cut equal numbers of bottom and top crusts.
 

Lime Marinated Flank Steak

Make sure to leave yourself enough time to marinate, at least 3-4 hours before grilling! I topped with Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette but you can also do it with no topping or create your own!

Lime Marinated Flank Steak
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
1 lb flank steak, trimmed

Combine all ingredients through salt and pepper in a shallow dish or freezer bag, tossing to combine.

With a fork, poke flank steak on both sides. Add flank to marinade, cover and refrigerate a few hours.

Head grill to medium high heat, when ready, grill flank for 3-5 minutes per side depending on level of doneness desired and thickness of steak. My steak was a little over an inch in its largest point and cooked to medium, in total took about 12 minutes because my grill was a little under temperature to start.
 

Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

I am fortunate since moving back to my parents for the summer to have their garden at my disposal. They have been growing tomatoes for a while, and have quite a few cherry tomato plants growing. Even if they are not fresh out of the garden, during the summer they are abundant and this is a great vinaigrette to make and keep on hand as it can go on almost anything -- eggs, bread, meat, vegetables (see my steak recipe for how it looks as a topping). Make sure to add chives just before serving, if you add them before storing they will become soggy.

Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette
Bon Appetit June 2013

1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Cut half of tomatoes in half. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add halved and whole tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to release juices. About 4-6 minutes. Mash some of the tomatoes with the back of spoon to release more juice.

Add red wine vinegar and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature, add chives just before serving. If you do chill, bring to room temperature and stir in chives before serving.

Summer Squash Saute

As summer approaches, zucchini and summer squash become abundant. Here is a quick and easy recipe from Bon Appetit that is very tasty! Can adjust to make more. The salt is used to extract water from the vegetable making sure you don't have a soppy pan.

Summer Squash Saute
adapted from Bon Appetit June 2013 for 2

1 pound zucchini, julienned with a mandolin (or cut into matchsticks)
pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper

Place zucchini in colander, toss with salt and let sit. Squeeze excess water after at least 10 minutes, make sure not to rinse.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cook, stirring often for about 2 minutes, just until the garlic starts to brown. Add squash and cook, tossing occasionally for about 5 minutes until crisp yet tender. Fold in Parmesan, season with salt and pepper.
 

Spring Pea Pancakes -- Easily Change Flavors!

A great way to take advantage of certain fresh produce when it comes available. This recipe from Bon Appetit included peas but I would easily substitute a range of different vegetables and spices to suit your taste. I also experimented with the size and it was very easy to make very small pancakes that could be used for appetizers -- the pea and scallion would go really well with smoked salmon and creme fraiche. Also came to mind was doing a scallion chile pancake topping with either shredded pork al pastor and pickled red onions.

All you need to do is start with the basic pancake recipe and add 1 cup of vegetables!

Basic Vegetable Pancake Base Recipe
adapted from Bon Appetit April 2013

1 tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp canola oil

Puree eggs, cottage cheese, flour, oil and salt in blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Add Vegetables!
- If using fresh vegetables, most need to be cooked in boiling salted water until tender, a few minutes
- If using frozen vegetables, do not cook, just thaw and drain

This recipe I used: 1 cup of peas + 4 scallions thinly sliced

Stir vegetables into bowl. Batter should be thick but if it is too thick and not pourable, stir in water by teaspoon full until thinner.

Heat non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add batter to skillet (1/4 cup makes a medium sized appetizer portion, smaller for bite size). Cook until bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 minutes until browned and cooked through center.

Top with favorite topping -- greek yogurt, chives, scallions, etc. This recipe in the magazine drizzled butter and topped with scallions.

Grilled Gazpacho

A classic summertime dish, especially in Florida where it is crazy hot most days. This version adds flavor by quickly cooking the vegetables on the grill before using a food processor to finish the Gazpacho.

Grilled Gazpacho
3 lbs fresh, ripe tomatoes
1 red or white onion
2 red bell peppers
1 cucumber
1 serrano pepper
3 garlic cloves
water
salt & pepper

Wrap garlic cloves in foil and toss on the grill. Meanwhile, cut vegetables (except for tomatoes, cucumber and serrano pepper) into large pieces that are easy to grill. Cook over medium high heat until starting to brown but don't cook all the way through. Best to do in batches since different vegetables will cook differently. Tomatoes can be placed whole onto the grill and cooked until the skin starts to blister.

Add all vegetables plus remaining ingredients to food processor, combining until coarsely chopped. Add water if necessary to thin, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Udon -- Mix and Match!

For whatever reason I love noodle soups, I literally could eat some type of udon, ramen, etc. every date. One of the best parts of travelling to Asia is being able to eat noodle soups anytime of day, everyday. I always keep udon noodles in my freezer for a quick meal or sometimes a late night snack. Much better than Cup O' Noodles. This is very much a recipe in constant adjustment, I have been slightly adjusting the seasoning and broth and can't say that it is an authentic representation of anything you would find anywhere in Asia. However it uses a lot of key ingredients, mixing together different flavors from across countries.

Here are few of the key ingredients that I think you should always have stocked in your pantry, I use them quite a bit: rice wine vinegar, miso paste, sambal oelek (a spicy chili sauce), ginger & lemongrass (you can purchase them in tubes near the herbs in the market, keep well and big time saver), and of course Sriracha.

The great thing about these soups with those basic ingredients, some broth, and any proteins / vegetables you have laying around you can make a pretty delicious meal.

Shredded Chicken: Its best to cook in advance and add just to reheat, otherwise you get some pretty dry chicken. Can easily keep in the freezer too.
- Add 1.5 lbs of chicken breast to a pot of boiling water. Add 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sherry and 1 tbsp ginger.
- Bring to a boil, cover and turn off the heat, letting it sit for 15-20 minutes until cooked through
- Drain and cool breasts, shredding with forks

Other veggies to incorporate: Baby Bok Choy, Shredded Carrots, Shitake Mushrroms

The latest broth mixture included the following, this is constantly being adjusted so check for updates! You will have extra which you can freeze
- 32 oz of broth (veggie, beef or chicken -- I use chicken but depending on what you use, may need to adjust other additions, especially soy sauce, don't want too much sodium)!
- 4 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Sambal Oelek
- 1/2 tsp ginger
 

More Salsa! Pineapple Salsa

Because you can never have enough salsa options and with grilling season around the corner, you can quickly make this to top any taco or whatever else you have going on the grill - chicken, fish, vegetables. Endless possibilities!

Grilled Pineapple Salsa
4 slices of fresh pineapple, 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp red onion, thinly sliced (ice bath will take out some of the bite)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
pinch of kosher salt
1/2 jalapeno, thinly sliced, seeds removed if you want to cut down some heat

On a medium high grill (or grill pan), grill pineapple for 5 minutes each side, until browned. Coarsely chop and combine with remaining ingredients, tossing to combine, serve immediately or chill.


=from Cooking Light September 2011

Salsa Salsa Salsa

Fresh, home-made salsas are an easy way to make taco night go from run of the mill to excellent. All of these can be made ahead too and used for just about anything you want to add a little bit of flavor too. I used them for grilled mahi mahi taco night but they would go equally as well with carnitas, steak, or even plain veggie tacos!

The Chipotle Salsa seemed to have the most heat so may want to adjust the amount of pepper you add if you want something a little more mild.

from Food Network Magazine

Chipotle Salsa
6 tomatillos, husks on
1 canned chiptole chile
1 tsp adobo sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove
1 tsp olive oil
salt to taste, water to thin

Over a pre-heated grill, roast tomatillos until husks are charred (could also do over any open flame(, about 5 minutes. Cool and remove husks. Puree the tomatillos and remaining ingredients until well combined. Thin with water if necessary, don't want too think of a salsa and season with salt.

Jalapeno Cream
4 jalopenos, seeded
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp olive oil
salt to taste

Puree jalapenos, cilatnro, mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Aji Chile Salsa
1/3 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup tomato, finely diced
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1 aji chile, minced
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp olive oil

Soak diced onion in ice water for 15 minutes, dain. Mix with tomatoes, cilantro, chile and garlic clove. Add the white wine vinegar, lime juice and olive oil until well combined. Thin with water and season with salt.

Tuna Tartare wuth Sesame Wontons

I am fortunate enough to have grown up in Florida where fresh fish is never a problem to get. I also have an amazing sister and brother-in-law who love fishing and often bring up to my parents some of their catch. After stone crab claws my favorite is the fresh tuna they catch in the Bahamas. With tuna this fresh you cant imagine cooking it so its perfect for a spicy Asian-inspired tuna tartare. Fresh avocados and crispy sesame wontons round out the crunch and buttery flavors.

This recipe is a slight adaptation of what I originally made based on my notes after it was finished (less vinegar, more spice). I will be sure to update it when I have a chance to make it again back in FL!

Tuna Tartare
1 1/2 tsp finely diced shallots (or red onion)
1 tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp honey
1/4 tsp chili sauce
1/8 tsp fresh lemongrass
1/4 tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
3/4 lb Fresh Sushi-Grade Tuna, cut into small cubes
1 avocado
small squeeze of lime juice
Sesame Wontons

After finely chopping the onion, soak in a small bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Especially important if using red onions to get ride of some of the bite that will over power the tuna.

Mix ingredients up to and including the ginger in a bowl until well combined. Fold in the tuna and regierate for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile cube avoocado, plate and add fresh squeeze of lime. Stir in the sesame seeds with the tuna and top avocado with tuna mixture.

Shaved Fennel Salad with Citrus and Pomegranate Seeds, Served With Seared Scallops

After the first successful Christmas Eve dinner with my siblings, this salad made another appearance this past holiday season. It is a great salad, especially in an Italian oriented meal, to break up the courses. Light with enough acidity to make it bright, it has become one of my favorite winter-time salads where fresh greens are hard to come by.

The best part is that you can easily substitute the type of citrus, cheese, nuts you use based on what you have available or is in season at the store. Originally got the idea for this salad from a Mario Batali recipe. The key is to slice your fennel and segment citrus ahead of time making the final plating easier. Also be sure to catch the juice from segmenting citrus as it can be used in the dressing.

Shaved Fennel with Citrus and Pomegrante Seeds (makes 4-6 salad course servings)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed with fronds reserved for garnish
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil
2 grapefruits or oranges, peeled and segmented, juice reserved
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (roasted and salted)
salt and freshly ground pepper
parmesan or pecorino for shaving over top

Shave fennel using a mandoline into the thinnest slices possible. Place in a bowl and toss with lemon juice and olive oil.  and any remaining juices from the fruit segmenting (no morethan an additional 1/4 cup),Add pomegranate seeds, pumpkin sseeds and fennel fronds, tossing to coat with hands, season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the plates with the salad mixture, top with citrus segments. Shave the cheese over each plate to serve. 

Red Velvet Peppermint Swirl Brownies

A Southern Living twist to make a new holiday favorite!

Red Velvet Peppermint Swirl Brownies
Southern Living, November 2012

4-oz. bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped
3/4 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar, divided
4 large eggs
1-oz. bottle red liquid food coloring
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 13- x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in 2 cups sugar.

 

Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Add food coloring, peppermint extract, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/8 tsp. salt. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg whites and remaining 1 tsp. vanilla, and beat until blended. Stir in 2 Tbsp. flour until smooth. Drop cream cheese mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls over batter in pan; gently swirl with a knife.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil; cut brownies into squares.

Guacamole - Improved!

For the past several years I have been making guacamole from a recipe given to me that everyone likes, including non-avocado-loving people like my family. While delicious, I wanted to add flavor to it and found the perfect way to do so - grilling the avocados!

This simple step added a richness to the guacamole, balancing the red onion much better than it ever did before. I did find myself having to add a little more salt than normal to make the lime and parmesan come through.

Added bonus -- it maintained its green hue a lot longer than normal, who knew?!

Guacamole
Makes approximately 2 cups

2 ripe Haas Avocados, cut in half, pit removed and discarded
3 tbsp red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 to 2/3 cup of sour cream (regular or reduced fat)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup of shredded parmesan
Juice of one lime
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Light gas grill to medium high. Lightly coat avocado halves with olive oil (using the spray kind is easiest) and place cut-side down, directly on the grill and close grill. Let the avocado grill for approx. 5 minutes until grill marks appear and avocado soft.

 

Remove avocados and scoop out of the skin into a medium bowl, using the back of the spoon to mash avocados until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, with sour cream and lime adding a little bit at a time to make sure it gets to your preferred flavor.

 

Can either be served immediately or refrigerated until ready. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy! 





 

Baked Ricotta

This is a rift from one of Andrew Carmellini's appetizers at Locande Verde, a fantastic Italian restaurant down in TriBeCa.

After wandering through Eatly, I noticed they had freshly made sheep's milk ricotta available and wanted to try and make the baked ricotta appetizer at home. While the actual L.V. recipe differs in ingredients, I found this to be quite tasty and adaptable. You can easily adjust ingredients (types of additional cheese and spices) to what you have available at home. Perhaps thyme would make a nice substitute to the fennel?

I actually didn't measure ingredients as I adjusted when I went along. Good advice would be to add the fennel, salt and pepper sparingly at first and adjust to taste. It was roughly 4 parts ricotta and 1 part pecorino which gave it a little more melted cheesiness that I love. And if sheep's milk ricotta isn't available then any other type of milk will do, however if it isn't fresh then I am not sure it will bake the same...

Baked Ricotta

Fresh Ricotta Cheese
Pecorino Cheese, grated
Fennel Seeds
Salt
Pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined, season to taste. Transfer to baking dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.

Bibb Salad with Morels

Dressing
1/4 cup dijon
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup olive oil
minced shallots
parsley
tarragon
chervil
fresh lemon juice

Mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
morels
scallions
1 tbsp parlsey
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper

Cook mushrooms for 5 to 6 minutes, until juice releases, add scallions, lemon, parsley and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add mushrooms to torn bibb salad and enjoy!

German Pretzels

This was definitely one of my more labor-intensive cooking adventures, one that also involved some heavy duty chemicals that got a strange look from a doctor who lives in my building. Luckily though I lived to tell about it and the pretzels turned out really well!

Definitely don't need to go the lye route but to get the golden brown its the best way to go. Just be careful, never add lye to water (must do the other way around) and wear protective gear. I purchased food-grade lye from Essential Depot. Follow the directions exactly so you don't hurt yourself. If you are uncomfortable using lye, F&W did provide a substitue at the end of the recipe.  

Even with the significant planning it was worth and the pretzels turned out amazingly. You can probably use the same method to move into pretzel bread but I stopped here!

German Style Pretzels

Food and Wine Magazine, January 2011

3 3/4 cups bread flour (20 ounces), plus more for dusting

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

10 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup food-grade lye micro beads

Coarse salt or pretzel salt, for sprinkling

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 3 3/4 cups of bread flour with the warm water, yeast, kosher salt and butter and knead at medium speed until the flour is evenly moistened, 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms around the hook, 8 minutes.

  

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Cover loosely with a dry kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and form each one into a ball. Cover the dough balls with the towel and let rest for another 5 minutes.

On an unfloured surface, roll each ball of dough into an 18-inch-long rope, tapering them slightly at both ends. To shape each pretzel, form the rope into a U shape. Cross the ends over each other twice to form the twist, then bring the ends to the bottom of the U and press the tips onto it. Arrange the pretzels on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let stand uncovered in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until slightly risen. Refrigerate the pretzels uncovered for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400°. While wearing latex gloves, long sleeves and safety goggles, fill a large, deep ceramic, plastic or glass bowl with the lukewarm water. Carefully add the lye (always be sure to add lye to water, never the other way around) and, taking care not to splash, stir the solution occasionally until all the beads have fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, gently lower a pretzel into the solution for 15 seconds. Carefully turn the pretzel over and soak it for another 15 seconds. With the spatula, remove the pretzel from the lye solution and return it to the baking sheets.

 

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt and bake on the top and middle racks of the oven until shiny-brown and risen, about 17 minutes; shift the pans halfway through baking. Let the pretzels cool slightly on the baking sheets before serving.

Make AheadPretzels baked without salt can be frozen for up to 1 month. Spray the frozen pretzels with water and sprinkle with salt before reheating in a 275° oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes.

Lye Alternative: To make a lye alternative, dissolve 1/2 cup baking soda in 2 quarts of boiling water. Boil the pretzels for 30 seconds, then drain on wire racks before salting and baking.

  

Shrimp Orzo - Michael Psliakis Recipe

One of my favorite restaurants in New York is Kefi, an unassuming UWS restaurant by Michael Psilakis that has some of the most delicious Greek cuisine and surprisingly reasonable NYC prices. It is always a special treat to head to that side of town for the tzatiki, slouvaki and seafood entrees like this Shrimp Orzo. However living in Gramercy, the trip took an hour so I was excited when the Chef published his cookbook that contained this Shrimp & Orzo recipe which was one of my favorites in the restaurant.

It is a perfect weeknight meal, paired with some pita and homemade tzatziki and a crisp bottle of white wine, you will feel transported to Kefi too.


Shrimp Orzo from "How to Roast a Lamb"
16 U-15 shrimp, peeled
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1 ½ cups orzo
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
3 shallots, finely chopped
9 whole scallions, thickly sliced
½ cup water
3 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 ½ cups smooth tomato sauce or puree (or a good, store-bought marinara)
¼ cup Garlic Puree (page 264)
¾ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided in half
6 cups baby spinach leaves (about 8 ounces)
Small handful torn fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, and/or parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 275 [degrees] F. Season the shrimp with kosher salt and pepper.

Cook the orzo according to instructions and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Reserve, keeping warm.

In a large, heavy soup pot, Dutch oven, or wok, warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. When the pot is very hot, add the garlic and shallots, and sauté for 1 minute.



Add the scallions and shrimp, and sear for 30 seconds.






Add the water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Garlic Puree. Cook for 2 minutes and remove the shrimp to the reserved orzo. Continue to reduce the liquid until the mixture has thickened (2 to 3 minutes), and season with salt and pepper.

Place a serving bowl in the preheated oven for 2 minutes to warm.

To the pot, add the orzo and shrimp, half of the feta, and the spinach, and toss to combine. As soon as the spinach has wilted (about 1 minute), transfer to the preheated bowl.

To finish, scatter the remaining feta, the fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil over the top.

Penne with Vegetables and Feta Sauce

This dish came about because I needed to bring something for a potluck but had no desire to go to the store. In rummaging through my pantry I found a few ingredients that I figured could pull together to make something tasty and I am happy to report all everyone agreed. No pasta was left at the end of the evening!

Since I made it based on what I had handy it is very easy to substitute ingredients in based on what is around and what you like. Maybe instead of feta you use some other cheese you have in the drawers, or add some italian sausage you may have purchased too many links of. Anything works!

Pasta with Feta Sauce and Vegetables

1 box whole wheat penne pasta
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 bag frozen corn kernels
1 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
4 garlic cloves, minced
tarragon
basil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely diced
1 cup half and half
1 cup skim milk
3 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup feta cheese, shredded
3/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded

Hot & Sour Soup

This is a great, easy soup for a weeknight and can store nicely for a few days for easy reheating. Can adjust the spice and sour to meet your taste by adding more or less rice vinegar and hot sauce. It is also very healthy, low in fat!

Hot & Sour Soup (six servings)
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

4 cups no-sodium chicken broth   

2 Tbsp rice vinegar   
2 tsp chili paste, or to taste   
2 cups shiitake mushroom, sliced   
1/3 cup uncooked bamboo shoots, sliced   
9 oz firm tofu, about 1 cup, diced   
1 Tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water   
1 Tbsp soy sauce   
2 medium uncooked scallions, sliced   

In a soup pot, stir together broth, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and tofu. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch and simmer 2 minutes more. Crack egg into a small bowl, while stirring, slowly add egg to the soup.

Serve, sprinkling each bowl with sliced scallions.

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Fresh Salsa from Ann Arbor Farmer's Market

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies

From Southern Living

3/4 cup finely diced fresh strawberries
3/4 cup finely diced rhubarb
1 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp sugar, divided
3 tsp orange zest, divided
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cold
1/4 cup shortening, chilled
3 tbsp ice cold water
3 tbsp orange juice
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tbsp whipping cream
sugar for dusting

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, cornstarch, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp orange zest in a small bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tsp orange zest. Drizzle with ice cold water and orange juice. Stir with a fork until combined. Mixture should be crumbly and dry. Knead lightly and shape dough into a disk and divide dough in half, covering one of the halves.

Roll half of the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a heavily floured surface. Cut with a 2 1/4 inch round cutter, rerolling scraps as needed. Place half of dough rounds 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Top with 1 round teaspoonful strawberry mixture.  Dampen edges of dough with water, and top with remaining dough rounds, pressing edges to seal.  Crimp edges with a fork and cut a slit in top of each for steam to escape. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and strawberry mixture.

Stir together egg yolk and cream; brush pies with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Freeze pies for 10 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Poblano Fish Tacos

Poblano Fish Tacos

1 large poblano pepper
1/2 English cucumber, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbsp. chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh lime juice, divided
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp. mango-lime seafood seasoning
1 1/2 pound white fish (I used Tilapia)
12 corn tortillas
queso fresco, crumbled (Mexican cheese)

Preheat grill, medium-high heat. Grill pepper for 3 to 4 minutes until the pepper looks blistered, turning to char all sides. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (Press and Seal for me!) and let stand for 10 minutes so skin loosens. Peel off skin, remove seeds and coarsely chop.

Combine pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, garlic clove, salt, 2 tbsp lime juice and 2 tbsp olive in a bowl. Whisk together seafood seasoning and remaining lime juice and olive oil in a large dish. Add fish, turning to coat, cover and chill for 5 minutes. Remove fish from marinade, discard excess.

Grill fish, cover with lid, 3 to 4 minutes per side until fish begins to flake and is opaque in the center. Cool 5 minutes and flake into bite sized pieces.

Serve fish and pepper mixture in warm tortillas with lime wedges and queso fresco.

Ramp Toast with Pickled Ramps

After a recent dinner at ABC Kitchen, I was looking forward to getting my hands on some ramps from the Farmers Market. Ramps are a combination leek, onion, garlic vegetable that only pop up for a short few weeks in the spring.
Ramp Toasts
1/4 cup parsley
1 garlic clove
juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 of the zest
10 ramps
4 oz goat cheese
salt
pepper
Sourdough bread
Throw everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Lightly toast bread and spread ramp mixture over toasts and top with pickled ramps.

Pickled Ramps
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
mustard seed
coriander
fennel seed
salt
sugar
bulb end of ramps

You can eye the spices depending on your personal tastes and how many ramps you are pickling. I just used a little of each since I was only pickling a few ramps. Boil all ingredients, remove from heat and add sliced ramps. Let sit for atleast 10 minutes until serving.

An Update

To those who venture to my blog now and again, updates will be coming soon!

I had been away on vacation in Spain and upon my return ended up in the hospital for a period of time and am just getting better and back on track. I promise to post some old recipes that I hadn't had a chance to post before vacation soon and hopefully will be back in the kitchen not long for now too!